Art of distilling hydrocarbons.



J. W. COAST, JR.

ART OF DISTILLING HYDROCARBONS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. II. 1916.

1,25,4Q1, Patented Jan. 8, 1918 I Q rP/ FQE.

JOHN W. COAST, JR., OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO THE PROCESS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

ART OF DISTILLIN G HYDROCABBONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

Application filed November 11, 1916. Serial No. 130,740.

- lowing is a full, clear, and exact description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to the treatment of hydrocarbons, such for exampleas the distillates of crude petroleum, the object being to obtain aproduct of relatively low boiling point from such hydrocarbons, and tootherwise beneficially alter their properties. More specifically stated,.one of the objects of the invention is to improve the known methods ofobtaining gasolene from the products which result from the distillationof crude petroleum, and with this object in view the new methodpreferably includes certain combinations of steps whereby a body ofhydrocarbon liquid, moving at a high velocity, is subjected to a veryhigh degree of heat, the resultant vapors being forced into asupplemental cracking chamber. In the preferred form of the invention,the temperature of the vapors in the supplemental cracking chamber issufliciently high to crack a liquid hydrocarbon, and such liquid in arelatively cool state is introduced into these hot vapors. The resultproduced is substantially as follows:

The relatively cool liquid, mixing with the hot vapors, causes thevaporized fractions of relatively -high boiling point to condense in thesupplemental crack-ing chamber, thereby insuring a product of relativelylow boiling point. The intense heat of the vapors is utilized to crackthe hydrocarbon liquid separately introduced into the supplementalcracking chamber. Another important point is the elimination of coke orcarbon from the retort or primary cracking apparatus. Owing to thevelocity of the vapors, all or almost all of the coke or carbon isforced into the supplemental cracking chamber, and it is there actedupon by the comparatively cool liquid which condenses the heavierhydrocarbons in the vapors. The coke or carbon is removed from thevapors in the supplemental cracking chamher, and it maybe readilyremoved from the bottom of said chamber.

Other important advantages may be obtained by mixing gas or steam andgas with the hydrocarbon liquid before subjecting the latter to thecracking operation.

The drawing is a diagrammatical view of an apparatus adapted for use-incarrying out my method.

To illustrate a preferred method of carrying out the invention, I haveshown a retort or primary cracking apparatus comprising a coil of pipe Aarranged in a heating chamber B. The coil may consist of 400 feet of twoinch pipe. A vapor pipe 1 leads from the coil A to the side of asupplemental cracking chamber C. 2 designates a vapor pipe leading fromthe top of the supplemental cracking chamber to a condenser 3. A valve4:, in the vapor pipe 2, may be regu: lated to maintain a predeterminedpressure in the supplemental cracking chamber C and coil A. An outletdevice attached to the lower end of the supplemental cracking chamber Cincludes a receptacle 5 interposed between valves 6 and 7. These valvesmay be manipulated independently of each other to discharge substancesfrom the bottom of the chamber C without materially reducing thepressure in said chamber.

A discharge member 8, arranged within the supplemental cracking chamber,is provided with a multitude of small discharge ports in its bottomface. This discharge member lies above the plane of the vapor inlet andit is connected to a supply pipe 9 provided with a regulating valve 10.A relatively cool fluid, preferably a liquid hydrocarbon, is conductedthrough the pipe 10 and forced through the discharge memher 8 for apurpose which will be hereinafter explained.

12, 13 and 14 respectively designate pipes for Xonducting oil, steam andgas to the coil Although I have shown and described a] specificstructure adapted for use in carrying out my method, it is to beunderstood that the illustration is merely diagrammatical and that anysuitable apparatus may be used in connection with the method hereinclaimed.

The new method may be followed in cracking various heavy hydrocarbonproducts resulting from the treatment of crude petroleum, but is moreparticularly adapted to crack such inexpensive heavy hydrocarbons havinga boiling point of about 350 F. to 800 F., the most beneficial resultsbeing obtained from hydrocarbons having a boiling point rangin fromabout 450 F. to about 700 F. T e substance to be treated in the crackincoil A is preferably mixed with steam an natural gas, the mixture beingpumped into the lower end ofsaid coil. The crackingcoil A is subjectedto a very high degree of heat, preferably from 800 F. to 1500 F. Thevelocity of the fluid moving through the cracking coil will range from2600 to 6000 feet per minute.

The valve 4 in the vapor pipe 2 may be regulated to maintain apredetermined pressure in the cracking coil A and supplemental crackingchamber C. This pressure is preferallily between 50 and 150 pounds persquare inc A hydrocarbon liquid having a relatively high boiling pointis forced through the pipe 9 anddischarge member 8. This comparativelycool liquid, in a finely divided condition, is discharged into the veryhot vapors passing from the pipe 1. 'Owing to the intense heat of thevapors, the finely divided liquid is subjected to a cracking operationin the supplemental cracking chamber C. The advantage of utilizing thehot vapors to crack an additional body of hydrocarbons is believed to beapparent. The action in the supplemental cracking chamber will dependprimaril upon temperature of the vapors passing rom the cracking coil,the degree of pressure in said supplemental chamber, the boiling pointsof the finely divided liquid discharged. therein, and the volume ofliquid discharged into said cham ber. Only a relatively small volume ofliquid can be successfully cracked in the supplemental cracking chamber.For example, the quantity of liquid forced into the'cracking coil may beabout five times the quantity forced into the supplemental chamber. Thenecessary high temperature can be easily maintained in the supplementalcracking chamber, for as previously indicated, the vapors passing fromthe cracking coil are very hot, preferably between 800 F. and 1500 F.,and these vapors are discharged at a high velocity into the supplementalcracking chamber.

The temperature of the vapors in the supplemental cracking chamber isreduced by cool fluid passing from the discharge memher 8, and as aconsequence, the vaporized fractions having relatively high boilingpomts will condense and fall to the bottom of the supplemental crackingchamber, instead of passing to the condenser 3.. It will now beunderstood that the approximate boiling-point and specific gravity ofthev product may be predetermined by regulating the valve 10 to controlthe flow of the comparatively cool fluid through the discharge member 8,thus regulating the temperature of the contents of the supplementalcracking chamber. A product having a desirable low boiling point willflow constantly from the condenser 3, the high boiling fractions beingcondensed in the chamber C.

Owing to the high velocity of the fluid passing through the coil A,almost all of the carbon or coke will be carried into the supplementalcracking chamber C, and it will fall to the bottom of said chamber. Thevalves 6 and 7 may be operated as previously pointed out to remove thecarbon and liquid from the chamber 0.

Another important feature of the invention consists in mixingnaturalgas, or steam and natural gas, with a hydrocarbon fluid and thereaftersubjecting the mixture to a pressure and temperature suficiently high tocrack the hydrocarbon in. the presence of the other elements of themixture. In

'thepreferred form of the invention, the

oil, steam and natural gas are conducted to the cracking coil A by'meansof the pipes 12, 13 and 14 respectively. By mixing steam and gas withthe oil the yield is greatly increased, and a much sweeter and betterproduct having a more desirable initial boiling point is obtained. Thisseems to indicate that only a very small percentage of the oilis'converted into a fixed gas, or that the natural gas is absorbed b theoil by the action of steam and ahigb degree of heat.

The apparatus herein shown is claimed in an application for patent filedby me Nov. 22, 1916, Serial Number 132,766.

I claim 1. In the art of cracking petroleum hydrocarbons, the methodwhich comprises cracking such petroleum hydrocarbons under pressure andat. a high temperature, conducting the resultant hot vapors into asupplemental cracking chamber, so as to maintain said supplementalcracking chamber at a cracking temperature, forcin a finely divided andrelatively cool by rocarbon liquid into the hot vapors contained in saidsu plemental cracking chamber, thereby su ecting the finely dividedliquid. to a crackin operation and at the same time condensing thepreviously vaporized fractions having relatively high boiling points,and conducting the remaining vapors from said supplemental crackingchamber to a condenser.

2. In the art of cracking petroleum hydrocarbons, the method whichcomprises cracking such petroleum hydrocarbons under a pressure greaterthan 50 pounds per square mob and ate. temperature .hi her than 800 F.,conducting the 0t vapors at naeaaoa a high velocity into a supplementalcracking chamber, maintaining the contents of said supplemental crackingchamber under a pressure greater than 50 pounds per square inch, forcinga finely divided mass of relatively cool hydrocarbon liquid into the hotvapors confined by said supplemental cracking chamber, thereby crackingthe finely divided liquid and at the same time condensing the previouslyvaporized fractions having relatively high boiling points, andconducting the remaining vapors from said supplemental cracking chamberto a condenser.

3. In the art of cracking petroleum hydrocarbons, the method whichcomprises forcing such hydrocarbons at a high velocity through a longrestricted cracking retort, and thence into a relatively largesupplemental cracking chamber, heating said long restricted crackingretort to crack the rapidly moving hydrocarbons,transmitting heatthrough the resultant vapors to said supplemental cracking chamber so asto maintain the latter at a cracking temperature, maintaining thecontents of said supplemental cracking chamber under pressure, at thesame time forcing a finely divided relatively cool hydrocarbon liquidintosaid supplemental crackin chamber, thereby subjecting said finelydivided liquid to a cracking operation and condensing the previouslyvaporized fractions having relatively high boiling points and alsoreleasing carbon or coke 'from said vapors, conducting the remainingvapors from said supplemental cracking chamber to a condenser, andremoving the carbon or coke from said supplemental cracking chamber.

4. In the art of distilling petroleum hydrocarbons having a boilingpoint of over 300 F. to obtain a product of lower boiling point, themethod which comprises forcing .such hydrocarbons at a velocity greaterthan 2600 feet per minute through a long restricted retort and thence toa relatively large supplemental chamber, maintaining a pressure greaterthan 50 pounds per square inch in said retort and supplemental chamber,heating said retort to a temperature higher then 800 F. so as to crackthe rapidly movin hydrocarbons, introducing a finely divide andrelatively c001 fluid into the hot vapors in said supplemental chamber,thereby freeing the carbon or coke from said vapors and causing it todrop in said supplemental chamber, conducting the remaining vapors to acondenser, and removing the carbon or coke from said supplementalchamber.

5. In the art of treating petroleum distillates having a boiling pointof over 300 F. to obtain a product of lower boiling point, the methodwhich comprises mixing sucl? distillates with steam, forcing the mixtureat a velocity greater than 2600 feet per minute through a coil of smallpipe and thence to a "supplemental cracking chamber, maintaining apressure of from 50 to 150 pounds per square inch in said pipe andsupplemental cracking chamber, heating. said plpe to a temperaturebetween 850 F. to 1500 F, so as to crack the rapidly moving hydrocarbonfluid, introducing a finely divided and relatively cool petroleumdistillate into the hot vapors confined by said supplemental crackingchamber, thereby cracking the last mentioned distillate, at the sametime condensing the previously vaporized fractions having relativelyhigh boiling points and also freeing carbon or coke from the vaporsconducting the remaining vapors from sai supplemental cracking chamberto a condenser, and removing the carbon or coke from said supplementalcracking chamber.

6. In the art of treating petroleum hydrocarbons having a relativelyhigh boiling point to obtain a product of lower boiling point, themethod which comprises mixing steam and natural as with suchhydrocarbons, forcing the mixture at a high velocity through a crackingapparatus, subjecting said rapidly moving mixture to a degree of heathigher than 800 F., at the same time maintaining a pressure greater than50 pounds per square inch in said cracking aparatus, thereby crackingthe hydrocarbons 1n the presence of said steam and natural gas, andthereafter condensing the resultant vapors.

JOHN W. COAST, Jr.

